Private Westmoreland: Space Adventurer
by grumpystumpy
Summary: Private Westmoreland usually guards the door on the Normandy and not much else. A new assignment leads to a bit of excitement in an otherwise dull routine.
1. Chapter 1

"Why are you guys doing this again?" asked Steve Cortez, the Normandy's shuttle pilot.

"'Cause it's more interesting than guarding the door?" Private Bethany Westmoreland replied with a slight grin. "Plus, Commander's orders and all."

"But, why? It's not like it's a real dog," Vega chimed in from his corner of the bay.

Bethany looked down at KEI-9, who tilted its head at her. She could have swore the blue lights on its "face" blinked at her. The private shrugged. "I dunno. Commander seems to think he's moping."

Cortez chuckled. "He? Why not a she?"

She shrugged again. "Seems like he's a he. Reminds me of a dog my family had growing up."

"If you say so," Vega said. "Have fun with Fido. Make sure he doesn't go sticking his nose in any sockets he shouldn't."

Bethany started walking towards the lift and heard KEI-9's paws tapping on the floor behind her as they entered. It was more than a little odd Shepard was worried about her dog when the galaxy was crumbling around them. Though it was the little things which kept a person going during tough times, maybe it was just one thing Shepard could control? Although Bethany wasn't entirely sure how the commander could read the dog's alleged mood. She supposed since EDI had moods it was entirely possible the canine mech could, though she doubted it was on the same operating level as an unshackled AI. Regardless, all the enlisted crew now had a rotating schedule to take KEI-9 out for walks when the Normandy was docked at the Citadel. Despite the seemingly ridiculous nature of the chore, Bethany was grateful for the break from guarding the most boring door in the universe.

The doors of the lift slid open and Bethany stepped onto the deck of the always buzzing CIC. The room was dark, most of the light generated from the glowing blue galaxy map, and had a heavy feel to it. There was chatter, but it was hushed and came in quick bursts. There were other places on the ship where one could escape to and forget about the war, this was certainly not one of them.

"Bethany! I almost didn't recognize you without your door," said Communications Specialist Samantha Traynor.

Bethany felt her cheeks grow warm and she looked at her boots as the specialist approached. "Uh. Hi! I mean, hello, Specialist Traynor."

"How many times must I ask for you to call me Samantha already?"

"It's , uh, habit," Bethany stammered.

"If you say so. Hello, KEI-9," Samantha said, kneeling down to pet the dog.

Bethany felt very light headed. _She remembered my name!_ Her shameless crush on Traynor had begun, and only gotten worse, since the day they'd met during the Normandy's retrofits. Bethany had ever so tactfully spilled coffee on the specialist's boots when they'd nearly collided in the hall. Bethany had never been so mortified in her life. Samantha had had laughed it off and told some tale about spilling tea on an Admiral. It had made Bethany feel a bit better, hearing how awkward Samantha was, and only further fanned the flames of her infatuation.

"Bethany?" Traynor asked.

"Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

Samantha smiled. "Be sure to take him down by the lake on the Presidium, I hear he likes it there."

"You think he's a he?"

"Of course! Reminds me of a pup we had growing up in England."

Bethany fought back a grin. "Do you want anything while I'm on the Citadel?"

"Chocolates, flowers, a dashing military type to sweep me off my feet. The usual."

Bethany's heart sank a little. Sounded like while she pined for Traynor, Traynor was a bit taken with Shepard - though it seemed like that was half the galaxy felt the same way. And who could blame them? First human Spectre, Hero of the Citadel, defeated the Collectors on a suicide mission, what wasn't there to like about the commander?

"Oh. Uh. Okay. I-I should go."

Samantha grinned. "I'll see you later then, Bethany. Bye, KEI-9!"

Feeling more than slightly dejected, Bethany made her way to towards the airlock and the massive space station that was the center of the galactic power.

#

For a robot dog, KEI-9 sure spent a lot of time sniffing at trees. Bethany thought only real canines were concerned with marking territory.

"Come on, "she said, patting her leg. "We're not even halfway around the lake!"

KEI-9 looked up from the tree at her, than back at the tree, than her, and then went back to sniffing. Stupid mech was worse than an organic pet. At least those could be lured with food. What was she supposed to do with KEI-9? Bribe it with a power coupling? She sat down on a large rock off the side of the path, watching the dog circle the tree for what must have been the tenth time. Bethany wondered if there was something she could bring back for Samantha. She knew the specialist still needed a new toothbrush, but it would be a weird gift considering they didn't know each other all that well. And she knew Samantha had ridiculously expensive tastes in oral hygiene. No way Bethany could blow 6000 credits on her salary.

"There! There it is!" she heard a gruff voice say. Two batarians were coming up the path; one had brownish-red skin, the other a light green with dark, almost black, stripes. They both wore heavy, battle scarred armor, likely mercenaries. The green one was pointing at KEI-9. They started towards the dog.

"You sure it's the right one?" the second alien said.

"Yes. Meets the description. The data should be encoded on it somewhere."

"Hey! Leave my dog alone!" Bethany said, hopping off the rock and coming to stand toe to toe with the alien. He was a lot taller than her and wider.

The green batarian shoved her, hard, forcing her to step back lest she fall over. "Ha! It's Shepard's dog! Don't lie!"

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave me and the dog alone. You don't want a Spectre hunting your ass now do you, four eyes?"

"Puny human," the batarian said. He bent down and picked up the small mech, who began wriggling violently. "Maybe you'll be the one being hunted when you explain to Shepard you destroyed her pet!"

Bethany's temper flared and she punched the green batarian square in the nose. He grunted and covered his now bleeding nostrils with his free hand. The second batarian tried to grab her, but she stepped out of range. She saw a C-sec guard starting his approach. "Drop the dog!" she shouted. "He's not yours!"

The brown batarian came at her again and she managed to trip him, sending him sprawling into the lake. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the C-sec guard was running now. Then Bethany's vision went white as her jaw exploded in pain and she fell. Looking up, she saw the batarian with the dog looming over her. He raised his foot and then stopped as the mech in his arms let loose an electrical shock that cause him to convulse and fall over. The dog clambered out from under him and took off across the grass, away from the fray.

Shepard wasn't going to like this.

#

Bethany sat in the C-sec office, an ice pack pressed to her bruised cheek, another on her split knuckles. She'd always heard batarians had hard skulls, now she'd gone and learned the hard way. With medi-gel in short supply, the medics had decided on less sophisticated treatment for her wounds. Despite her luck in escaping the fight with minor injuries, Bethany felt sick to her stomach. Part of it was anger; anger at the batarians for being assholes. The other part was shame; shame at herself for not being able to do something as simple as walking a robot dog. She was Alliance military, while not the turian one, she'd under gone some of the best training in the galaxy. And what good had it done her?

The officers had arrested the batarian she'd dumped in the lake, they were questioning him now. Supposedly an all points bulletin was out for his green-skinned friend, and the missing dog, though she doubted the latter was a priority for them. Bethany closed her eyes and slouched in chair, trying not to think about how sore she was, or worry about what she'd say to Shepard.

"Bethany! Are you all right?"

Opening one eye, she saw Samantha standing before her, a look of genuine concern on her gorgeous face. Bethany sat up, dropping an ice pack in her lap. "I'm fine! Really! Just a scratch."

Samantha leaned in-she smelled ridiculously good-and peered at Bethany's swollen cheek.

"Quite the shiner. I imagine Dr. Chakwas can give you something to help it heal quicker when we get back to the Normandy."

"Does Shepard know what happened?"

"No, no. She's been in a meeting with the Council all morning."

Bethany stood. "Okay, there's still time then I guess."

"Time for what, Bethany? Do you have a concussion?"

"I need to go find KEI-9."

"Seriously? I don't know if that's the best idea in your current state."

"I think he's in danger. The batarians seemed to think he had some sort of data stored on him?"

"That's odd. He's just a mech, there is some storage capacity, mostly extra memory slots for software upgrades, but it's not like he can do much else."

"Well, I still need to find him. I was responsible for him. It's my job to get him back to the Normandy safe."

"Or you could, I don't know, let C-sec handle it?"

She stepped around Traynor, heading for the door."They don't care, they're worried about murders and theft-not a lost robot dog. I'll head back to the ship as soon as I find him. Promise."

"And just how do you plan to do that? The Citadel isn't exactly small, Bethany."

"Um. I'll figure something out."

"Or you could simply use the homing device implanted on the dog to find him?"

Bethany turned around and saw Traynor with a smirk on her face. "Can I have the tracking device, please?"

"Mm. No. I think it's a bit technical for a mere private to use. You need someone with some expertise in technology and engineering I think."

Bethany quirked an eyebrow. "Did you have someone in mind?"

"I think I know the perfect person for the job."

#

They took a cab to the lower part of the Presidium. Bethany had never even thought about the underbelly of the Citadel, much less the various working parts that kept the lake clean and the power flowing. They'd been dropped off and forced to proceed on foot, Samantha monitoring the tracking device. The sick feeling Bethany had been experiencing earlier was gone, replaced by nervous butterflies at being with Samantha. Not only did she want to get the dog back to redeem her own honor, there was the added fact she now wanted to make sure she left a good impression with the gorgeous specialist.

"All right, looks like he's about…500 meters west of here. Poor little fellow must be scared if he's managed to make it this far down," Samantha said, examining the screen on her omni-tool.

"Yeah. He didn't seem happy. I was impressed at the fight he put up though. Didn't expect that," Bethany replied.

"Sometimes people, or things, can surprise you."

"This is true."

"You surprised me."

"Oh?"

"I figured you were some delinquent who was being punished. I mean, really? Who gets stuck with guarding a door in the middle of a war?"

"Heh. Well, Shepard is running the whole war from behind that door. It's kind of important."

"An excellent point. Either way, I initially misjudged you. You actually have many fine qualities, I think."

Bethany's jaw dropped and she almost walked into a pillar, much to Samantha's amusement based on the soft chuckle. "I, um, thanks."

The omni-tool flashed and Samantha's smiled faded. "Looks like he might be getting ready to move. Come on!"

They crossed through what seemed like an endless maze of metal maintenance corridors and ladders. It all looked the same to Bethany, Samantha was in the lead, following a blip on the glowing orange screen. They walked under some scaffolding and Bethany finally saw a faint blue light emanating from behind a grate in the wall.

"Let me go get him," Bethany said. "Don't want to startle or crowd him."

"All right. I'll just wait here in the creepy shadows, all alone, hoping no killers are lurking in the dark," Samantha said.

Bethany grinned and stepped through the metal cage of the scaffolding, crossing the large open bay between her and the grate. She knelt down in front of the vent and pulled it off the wall. KEI-9 lifted its head from where it was resting on the metal floor.

"Hey, boy. You okay?"

The dog tilted its head to one side and then rested it back on its paws.

"Aw! I'm sorry, I really am. It was just supposed to be a nice walk. I'll make it up to you, promise!"

The dog lifted its head and then stood before walking out of the vent. It cocked its head at her again. "What? What is it?"

Bethany was yanked off her feet by her collar. "There you are," growled the green skin batarian. His nose was crusted black blood and his breath was rank. "Knew you couldn't leave your little friend here! Where's the data?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

The batarian shook her violently. "The data about Shepard's plans! The ones that proved Shepard intentionally destroyed our relay!"

"Shepard was cleared of the charges!"

"Not by us!" he snarled.

Bethany punched the batarian in the nose, again, and then struck him in the soft part of his throat with the edge of her hand. He roared in pain and threw her into the wall. Bethany's vision swam and she felt fingers pressing, squeezing against her neck, cutting off her air. Then there was a crackling sound, the smell of hair burning, and a loud thud as the hulking alien fell to the ground. Through her clearing vision, she saw Samantha standing over her, omni-tool extended.

"So, I guess that's what happens when you turn that setting up all the way. Interesting," Samantha said.

Bethany coughed, rubbing her throat.

"Oh!" Samantha said, kneeling beside her. "You all right?"

"Not really."

Samantha brushed the some hair out Bethany's face and stoked her cheek. "I suppose it was a silly question. This time we're taking you right to Dr. Chakwas."

#

Shepard looked...peeved. At least, at least that's what Bethany thought. The Commander stood next to the med bay bed, arms crossed over her chest. Shepard was tall and had long chestnut hair pulled out of her face in a ponytail. She had dark brown eyes that were stoic-to say the least –and it didn't look like the commander smiled much. Samantha was lurking behind Shepard, watching the commander out of the corner of her eye. Bethany felt more than slightly jealous to see the commander getting all the attention say the least. Liara T'Soni, the Shadow Broker, stood next to the specialist, watching with a furrowed brow.

"Let me get this straight," Shepard said, rubbing her jaw. "The batarians thought I had some secret plans locked away...in my dog?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Shepard tuned to look at Liara. "Have your agents heard anything about this bizarre conspiracy?"

The asari shook her head. "This is new, Commander. I'll put out some queries."

"And," Shepard continued, her dark eyes seemed to bore through Bethany's skull. "And instead of coming to me, you, after being assaulted by said batarians, decided to go off on some kind of retrieval mission?"

"It was my idea, Commander," Samantha chimed in, much to Bethany's surprise. "I was the one who suggested going after the mech. I'll accept whatever reprimand you offer, ma'am."

"Great, just great. I've got the Reapers tearing up the galaxy and the crew tearing up the damn Citadel."

Liara stepped forward then, placing a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "They meant well. And you are quite fond of that dog. It's...unsettling."

Shepard's features seemed soften then, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "I'd hate to have the Shadow Broker unsettled."

Bethany saw Samantha look away, her cheeks red, as Shepard and Liara held each other's gaze just a bit longer than was proper between friends. Chakwas cleared her throat. "I need to finish up with the Private here, if you two don't mind."

Shepard's smile faded as quickly as it had come. "Letters in both your files and you're both helping Cortez with requisitions for the next two weeks. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Bethany and Samantha said in unison.

Liara slipped her hand into Shepard's and they left the medical bay. Samantha lingered behind, looking at the floor.

"Can I have a moment with the specialist, Doctor?"

"Of course. I'll be back shortly."

"I'm sorry," said Bethany quietly.

Samantha arched an eyebrow. "Sorry? Sorry for what? It was my idea to help you..."

"About the commander and, well, I'm sure she's missing out. I mean, Dr. T'Soni is lovely, but she doesn't compare to you."

Samantha tilted her head to the side and moved to sit beside Bethany on the bed. "What are you talking about?"

"You were all red, standing in the back there. I-I thought, I thought you were, you know, um, interested in her."

The specialist had moved closer, their thighs were touching. "Why would you ever think that?"

"Weren't you the one talking about strong, dashing military types earlier?"

Samantha smiled, leaned in, and kissed Bethany on the cheek. "They're overrated. I'll see you later, Private Westmoreland."

Bethany sat on the bed, completely slack jawed, as Samantha exited the medical bay—looking more than a little smug.

###


	2. Chapter 2

Tuchanka was a wasteland. Brown, barren, with clouds of dust constantly being moved about in the wind. This was one of the rare occasions Bethany would have actually preferred guarding the door to the war room. Instead, she was guarding medical supplies. Shepard had brought some with them from the Citadel as a gesture of goodwill to the Krogan. The Commander was off doing something planet side, no further information, which meant the rest of the crew got to pick up the slack.

"Private Westmoreland," said Samantha, her voice emanating from the Bethany's omni-tool. "Status update?"

Bethany did her best to keep a grin from spreading across her face. Samantha had been trying to teach her chess in their occasional off hours over the last couple of weeks. Since their little adventure on the Citadel Samantha had been much friendlier to say the least. Bethany had no complaints about it.

"A little over halfway done unloading, Specialist Traynor. Should be maybe a half-hour at most."

"All sorts of formality today, hm?"

"You started it."

Samantha chuckled. "Well, we probably shouldn't be acting like giggling school girls on official channels. I'll check back in thirty on your progress. Traynor out."

Bethany adjusted the Avenger assault rifle in her grip and smiled when she saw her omni-tool light up with a message from Samantha. It read: -Re-match tonight? Winner gets dinner at the restaurant of her choice on the Citadel.-

-You're on!- Bethany typed, sending the reply back with a flick of her finger.

It was probably because she couldn't stop staring at Samantha's message that she didn't notice the bulky krogan in black armor until he was practically on top of her. He looked down his nose at her, watching her with beady, black eyes. His hands were large enough to crush her skull with a single squeeze.

"Can I help you, sir? Bethany asked, resisting the urge to flip the safety off on her assault rifle.

The krogan grinned.

#

It was a cramped cell. Although probably larger than what the Alliance would have put her in, mostly due to the fact that humans were smaller than krogan, not out of any kindness or courtesy. Bethany was surprised they hadn't bound her hands, but then again, the thickness of the metal doors and the bars were likely more than sufficient to keep her inside. Bethany was starting to think this latest adventure might be a sign she really was supposed to be guarding the door. Always.

Bethany wasn't entirely sure why these krogan were so annoyed with the Alliance and Shepard in particular. She knew enough about the clan markings to know these were not Urdnot and were very likely not friendly with anyone from Urdnot. She wasn't sure why they'd decide to take her, and the four other Alliance enlisted, prisoner instead of killing them-not that she was ungrateful. But, all of the uncertainty was more than slightly annoying to say the least because she wasn't quite sure what to do.

Her omni-tool lit up. It was a message from Samantha. Finally. Bethany had sent one off three hours ago when they had been in the truck and the Specialist was just now getting around to replying?! -Are you okay?-

No! Not at all! I'm going to get my head cracked open by a krogan at any moment, Bethany thought. She chose to type the following instead, -For now.-

-Shepard is in the middle of something, can't help now.-

Bethany scowled. -What's more important than her crew?-

-A nuclear bomb which might destroy the planet you're trapped on.-

-Oh.-

-I'm working on something. Hang on.-

-How can I help?-

There was no reply. Five minutes. Ten. Twenty.

What the hell was "something" supposed to mean?! Was Bethany just expected to sit and twiddle her thumbs in this cell and wait for rescue?! Standing she started to pace around the cell, looking any kind of structural weakness.

"What are you doing?!" Boomed a deep, loud, krogan voice from the other side of the door. He was heavily scarred and missing an eye. Bethany damned near pissed herself.

"...walking? It's cramped in here."

"Hmph. Puny, whiny, human. Worthless."

"Nice chatting with you, too."

"I'm going to mount your skull on my wall."

"Hope your home has a nicer view than this room at least."

The krogan growled at her and stalked off. And as he did she noticed the hinges on this massive, ugly, door were particularly rusty.

#

Bethany's omni-tool lit up again. Again, it was Samantha. They had gone from radio silence for nearly six hours to the fourth message in twenty minutes. Bethany had been ignoring them. She was annoyed, frustrated. The question seemed ridiculous, silly, at this point. -Are you okay?-

Bethany frowned again, wiping her brow from the sweat she was working up from loosening up the hinges with a rock-at least she hoped it was a rock, it had a bit of a point to it-she'd found wedged in a corner. If she could get enough leverage she'd be able to pop the door off and be free. Sort of. Bethany had no idea where she was nor where the others were.

Bethany set down the rock and finally typed out a reply. -Delightful.-

-Oh, thank god! When you didn't reply I feared the worst.-

Bethany frowned. She had been forced to wait hours on Samantha and the Specialist couldn't wait a few minutes? -Nothing to worry about. This is like being at the beach.-

-Any noteworthy scenery at this beach?-

-Palm trees. And women in bikinis.-

-You best keep your eyes on the trees and not the bikinis.-

In spite of herself, Bethany smiled. Samantha would likely look damn good in a bikini. Surely she would be allowed to think about that, she might die after all. -Yes ma'am.- Bethany paused. -Any word on your something that you were planning?-

-Soon.-

Bethany sighed and started back to work on her hinge. She strained, pushed, and did her best to focus all her strength. There was a loud crack and she paused. Then she heard it, the sound of heavy footsteps. She scrambled away from the door and wedged herself into the corner, hiding the rock behind her. She slumped against the wall, doing her best to look like she was sleepy.

"What was that noise, human?!" Roared her newfound krogan friend.

"What? Hm? I snore."

The krogan sneered. "You're lying!"

"Have a peek. There's not exactly much to work with in here."

"I think I'll put your spine under your skull on the wall. Yes."

"I'm sure your wife will love it."

The krogan banged his fist against the door in anger and walked away. Bethany waited till the footsteps had faded and then she scrambled back to her spot. God, she hoped this would work, time was running out. The size of the cell was working against her now as there was nothing to brace herself against. Lying on the floor, she put her feet against the door and pushed up. The hinge creaked and groaned before Bethany was forced to rest. She felt her throat getting tight from panic. What if this didn't work? She stayed still, wondering if the noise would attract any undue attention. When she heard no noise she pushed again. The metal protested loudly, but nothing more. She was about to burst into tears from frustration when she heard the pounding footsteps of her captor running down the corridor. She barely managed to roll away from the door before the lock clicked and it swung open. The one-eyed krogan looked none too pleased. Bethany's hand found her rock before the krogan pinned her to the ground, driving his knee into her chest. There was a cracking sound. She couldn't get enough air to breathe.

"I'm done being toyed with human!"

Bethany's chest felt like it was going to cave in at any second. He leaned his face close to hers. "Let's hear a scream before you die."

She jammed the pointed end of the rock into his remaining good eye.

He roared and stood; clawing at his maimed face. Bethany rolled away and smack into wall. The krogan was shouting indecipherable things. Then he started swinging his fists, trying to strike at her and finding only air, then the cell walls. His blows took chunks out of the concrete. Picturing her head being next, Bethany crawled out of the cell and away from the raging krogan.

The blaring sound of alarms filled the corridor. Her chest felt like it was on fire. Maybe she had punctured a lung. But, she needed to move. Now. Right or left?! She looked one direction and then the other. They both looked the same. Left. Bethany turned and ran as fast as she could. It all looked the same! Rows of cell doors on either side. No place to turn, no place to hide. She could hear heavy footfall now. God, she hoped she was faster than a charging krogan.

There! Another corridor. Bethany skidded to a stop. It look like daylight at the end of this hall as opposed to pitch black. Ignoring the throbbing in her chest she ran again, towards the light. She heard gunfire. Loud, sharp. Close. They were shooting. She wasn't going to make it. The light at the hall disappeared, filled with a large silhouette. Bethany tripped and fell, skidding to a stop before two large feet. She heard the sound of shotgun loading. This was it.

And then the feet stepped over her. It wasn't a krogan. It was a human. Bethany looked up. It was James. He fire the gun, once, twice, three times, and then there was a loud thud. She looked over and saw a krogan lying on the floor. More boots appeared, Alliance issued, and a set of feet Bethany were sure belonged to a turian. Some enlisted man she vaguely recognized from the mess hall was rolling her over, helping her to her feet.

"Bethany!" She heard a very familiar British accent say. She looked up to see Samantha standing before her, assault rifle in hand. Before she could reply, the Specialist had enveloped her in a crushing hug, which caused Bethany to yelp, the pain almost caused her knees to buckle.

Samantha pulled back from the embrace, looking mortified. "Oh, my! I broke something didn't I?! I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking!"

Bethany forced a smile. "It's fine, really. I'd sacrifice a few ribs for a hug from you any day."

Samantha grinned. "Come on, let's get you back to the Normandy."

"What about the others?"

"I think James and Garrus have that under control."

#

The chessboard was on the table in front of them, the pieces untouched. Bethany was sprawled unceremoniously on the couch in the lounge, a bright green drink in one hand. Samantha sat next to her. The Specialist had not enjoyed an easy day. She had coordinated not only Shepard and her team in dealing with the bomb, but also the rescue team for Bethany and the other Alliance crew. Apparently a small segment of a rival clan of Urdnot had decided to make a power play and at the expense of Bethany's several broken ribs. Shepard had been pissed enough to threaten to further bomb a section of Tuchanka into the ground had Liara not talked her down. Samantha was the toast of the ship however. Shepard was apparently planning to put her in for some medal once the war settled down.

"Aren't we going to play chess?" Bethany said.

"You can't even sit up."

"Sure I can." Bethany scooted up an inch, two, and then slid back down the couch cushion at least four. "See, all good!"

Samantha chuckled. "You're slightly ridiculous, you know that right?"

"I was thinking of you in the bikini earlier, you know. You looked really good."

"Do you really think mixing alcohol with those pain meds Chakwas gave you is really wise?" Samantha asked, taking a sip of her drink, a smirk on her lips.

Bethany looked away from the lips and at her drink. "I can't really feel my hand."

Samantha took another drink from her glass. "That's not good."

"But! I can't feel my ribs either. That IS a good thing."

"I can't believe you did that."

"Did what? Wrestle a krogan? It was very badass."

"You should have waited! I told you I had a plan," Samantha scolded, taking a deeper drink from her glass.

"I didn't know how long your plan would take! Let's see how you like being stuck in a cell with a creepy, one-eyed krogan threatening to break you apart! I'm only an enlisted, I'm expendable! Cannon fodder!"

"I would never have left you."

"I mean really, it was dark, scary. I thought I could see a bright white light, Asari who looked like angels, death's icy grip looming over me..."

Samantha grabbed Bethany's face with both hands. "I would never have left you." The kiss that followed was quick, it barely registered on Bethany's lips, but it definitely happened.

"I-I should go," Samantha stammered and then hurried out of the lounge.

Bethany scratched her head, the world seemed to be spinning. Although whether it was from the kiss or the concoction of chemicals in her system it was hard to say.

###


	3. Chapter 3

Bethany tapped her chin, leaning against the door she so faithfully guarded on a daily basis. Private Campbell was off on a late dinner break. Shepard had given them permission to arrange breaks and shift changes as they saw fit. Not many clamored to join them for door duty after all. "Are you...something blue?" Bethany asked.

Samantha looked up at Bethany. Apparently sitting on a cold, metal deck had been her interpretation of the invitation to "make herself comfortable." "Yes."

"Are you...alive?"

"Yes."

"Are you...Dr. T'Soni?"

"No."

"What the hell else is there?"

"There is something else. Think."

"Samantha. You said it was alive, it was blue, it was on the Normandy...Garrus?"

"Garrus is more of a mottled grey, not blue, wouldn't you say?"

In addition to playing a silly guessing game, Bethany was trying to figure out where she and Samantha stood in terms of their relationship. Samantha had been using her occasional evening off to spend time with Bethany-who had tried to convince her to go enjoy her freedom playing cards, reading-but Samantha had insisted on spending time together not "in a moment of crisis." Two minor incidents-okay, Tuchanka might have been a bit more intense than a scuffle-yet there had not been a genuine "crisis." And there had been the kiss, but Bethany had been so drugged up on painkillers from her run-in with the krogan she wasn't sure if it counted. Regardless, there had been more than enough gestures to indicate a formal relationship was desired on both parts, though neither of them had confirmed it.

Bethany frowned, trying to re-focus on the game at hand. "...Tali?"

"Do you think Quarians are blue under their suits? I suppose it's possible. But, no."

"I don't know! I give up!"

Samantha smirked. "Fish."

"Fish?"

"Commander Shepard has some exotic blue fish in the tank in her cabin. I thought everyone knew."

"She also has an exotic blue asari in her cabin, which would have made a much better answer than the fish."

Samantha arched an eyebrow. "Oh, eyeing Dr. T'soni are you?"

"I think we've both stolen a glance at the good doctor at one point or another, Samantha."

"Fair point. All right. I'm thinking of..."

"Oh, no you don't!" Bethany said. "My turn."

"Fine."

"Okay, I'm thinking of something...brown? Yes, a dark, rich, brown."

"My eyes."

Bethany felt a rush of heat run from her face to her toes and suddenly she was having a harder time standing still than usual. "How did you know?"

Samantha stood, moving to stand arm's length away from the private. "You've been staring into them all night. Not that I mind in the slightest."

"Still. I could have been thinking of something else. Like, chocolate."

Samantha took another step forward. "Right."

Bethany licked her lips. Okay, maybe this was the answer to the very question she had just been pondering. They'd already kissed once. This should be easy. No surprises here. Though the other kiss had been very quick. Barely there. This one would likely be longer, more drawn out. And she wasn't under the influence of drugs. What if she did it wrong? Or not to Samantha's liking?

The doors slid open and Garrus stepped into the room. "Shouldn't you be minding that door, Private?" His tone conveying more than the slightest bit of amusement.

"I'll see you later," Samantha said, shooting an annoyed look at the turian before walking back out to the CIC.

Bethany refrained from banging her head on the wall in frustration.

#

It was early, far, far too early for any sane person to be up and about. Yet, there Bethany was, standing over the stove in the mess hall, cooking. Samantha normally was in the CIC by 0630, it was nearly 0600 now and Bethany was almost done with her work. Thus far, the specialist had been the one making all the moves. If they wanted to try and push forward with the relationship, Bethany decided she needed to make an effort to reciprocate. It had taken more than a few credits, and agreeing to a shift of cleaning a bathroom, but Bethany had managed to get her hands on some decent rations. Various people had non-standard issue items stashed throughout the ship apparently.

"What have you got there?" Samantha said. Bethany looked up to see a bleary eyed specialist standing next to her.

"Your breakfast."

"Oh, really now? And here I was so looking forward to consuming my 'nutrition' bar as I hunched over my monitor today."

"Hey, I've been up since zero dark thirty, slaving over a hot stove. The nutrition bar can wait till later."

Samantha saluted, a smirk on her face. "Yes ma'am. What are you making?"

"An omelette! I have gathered the finest powered eggs in the universe, freshest cheese; and yes, it is real cheese, unlike the eggs."

"Impressive."

"People have a surprising amount of food stashed away on this ship."

"What kind of cheese?"

Bethany grinned. "That's a surprise. So, go get your coffee, have a seat, and prepare to be amazed."

Samantha chuckled and did as she was told while Bethany finished cooking the "eggs." They didn't look...too terrible. Hopefully the gesture would be appreciated even if the food was lacking in terms of taste. She gently transitioned the omelette from the skillet to a plate, which also bore some toast, and brought it over to the table where Samantha sat in the otherwise empty room. She smiled as Bethany placed the food in front of her. "Aren't you having any?" Samantha asked.

"Nope. It's all yours."

"You're very sweet." Samantha picked up her fork, cut off a good sized piece of omelette, and popped it in her mouth. "Best powdered egg I've ever had," she said with a grin.

Bethany laughed, but she all but beamed. Not in pride over the cooking, she could have done better, but over the reaction her gesture elicited. "And now you'll never be able to enjoy them prepared by any other person ever again."

"What a dastardly plan! It's like you're holding my taste buds hostage forever!"

"I'm an evil mastermind, what can I say?"

"Thank you, Bethany. Really, this is lovely."

"You always go out of your way to do nice things for me. You know, saving my life, twice. This is the least I can do."

"I am quite fond of you, seems to be in my best interests to keep you alive."

Bethany felt her throat get tight and her mouth go dry. "So, while we're on that subject, you being fond of me..."

EDI's voice cut in, echoing through the room. "Specialist Traynor, report to the CIC, immediately."

"Gotta go. Can we talk later?"

"Of course."

Samantha finished her coffee in a gulp and hurried towards the elevator, leaving Bethany alone.

#

Bethany sat in the lounge, trying to focus on the book she had downloaded off the extranet. Between the engineers squabbling at the poker table and the rumors circulating Bethany wasn't having much success in reading. Rumor was spreading the mission on Thessia to recover a Prothean artifact was not going well. Shepard was two hours overdue and, given the commander's proclivity for attracting trouble, their delay could be anything from a lone volus to a Reaper. There was one person who would know for sure though and, admittedly, Bethany did not need much of an excuse to go see Samantha.

Bethany left the lounge and stepped onto the elevator, tapping the panel indicating a destination of the CIC. She was almost knocked on her ass by one of the bridge crew as she stepped onto the deck. It was quiet, but tense. People were moving quickly and with purpose. Samantha stared intently at her monitor, one hand touching her ear piece, the other tapping buttons which projected various maps and pinpoints on the screen. Samantha looked up at Bethany briefly and nodded before returning her attention to the console. The specialist's brow was furrowed and she was bit her lower lip from time to time. A point on the map flashed and Samantha exhaled, looking slightly relieved. "Bethany. I'm sorry, I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment."

"What's going on?"

"Full scale Reaper invasion of Thessia. We lost contact with Shepard, just re-established communications. She's almost to the temple."

"That's good, right?"

"Theoretically. Except for the fact there are Reaper forces along her projected path. I'm trying to find a more feasible way around them," Samantha pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers "Damn it. I don't know if I can."

Bethany felt guilty. There was nothing she could do to help Samantha, or more importantly, Shepard. "I'll leave you to it then."

"...no. Please. Please stay."

"I don't want get in your way."

"Just...just sit there," Samantha said, point at the steps leading up to the galaxy map. "Please."

Bethany did as she was asked, despite a few odd looks from passing crew members it earned her. She'd barely settled down when Samantha returned her full attention to the task at hand. The specialist began to request positions, adjust frequencies, and re-route transmissions. Bethany tried to peek at the screen, she could see the blip which had appeared earlier moving. Samantha stared at it intently. "Yes, Commander. I read you. You're headed away from the main body now based on the asari transmissions." There was a pause. "Some resistance, yes. They're saying ravagers and husks. Good luck. Traynor out." Then the specialist closed her eyes, leaning against the console.

"You can do this," Bethany said.

"And if I'm wrong they could die."

"Are you often wrong?"

"No."

"Then they likely won't die."

Samantha smiled for a brief moment before her thoughtful frown returned. Her fingers began to drum on the panel. The silence seemed to last forever, then Samantha cocked her head, her fingers flying up to touch her ear. She exhaled, but her expression became grim, the blood draining from her face. "Yes, Commander. I'll dispatch the shuttle for extraction now," Samantha said, slumping against the console.

Bethany leapt to her feet. "What happened?"

"They...they didn't get the artifact. Cerberus beat them there. Wait, wait, I might..." Samantha straightened and quickly brought up a new layer of data onto her screen. There were various lines, mixed amongst large menacing red dots. She was tracking ships. Samantha zoomed in, focusing on a handful of blue dots, then three, then one, a dotted white line indicating what appeared to be a projected path, she zoomed out, plotting a course through the mass relays.

Samantha rubbed her forehead. "I...I think I may have found the Cerberus shuttle. I hope, God, I hope so. It should be enough to figure out where they went, it needs to be enough. I'm...I've been at this for hours. There's been so much information, all coming in so fast. I'm so tired, I can barely see straight, my hands ache..."

Not sure of what else to do Bethany stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Samantha, pulling her close for a hug. The specialist tensed for a moment, and then relaxed, her head eventually resting on Bethany's shoulder with a heavy sigh. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity; they could have stayed that way the rest of the night as far as Bethany was concerned.

"Thank you," Samantha said quietly.

"For what?"

"For being here. It means, well, everything, right now." Samantha looked into Bethany's eyes for a long time and then she abruptly pulled away, heading back to the console. "Yes, commander," she said, then mouthed 'sorry' to Bethany. "Yes, ma'am. I'll call everyone to the war room for you."

Feeling staying longer would mean only being in the way, Bethany summoned the elevator, heading back for the crew deck.

#

Bethany scowled, wiping away the last bit disinfectant spray from the shower stall in the captain's cabin. One would think in this day and age they could have some kind of laser, or space magic, to take care of cleaning. As obnoxious as scrubbing was, she still felt the trade for the cheese had entirely been worth it for the look on Samantha's face when she had been presented with the omelette. Who would have thought Shepard, of all people, would have had a secret stash of cheddar cheese?

"Well, well. Cinderella, I presume."

Bethany turned around to see Samantha standing in the doorway to the bathroom, grinning. "Yes, I'm looking for my glass slipper so I can meet Prince Charming. Have you seen it?"

"Afraid not. Glass is against regulations on an Alliance vessel. You'd put us all in danger if we brought every stray glass slipper on board. Glass splinters, very deadly."

"Damn. Now I'll never get my tiara and castle."

"You'll just have to settle for me then."

Bethany blushed, setting down her cleaning implements. "I wouldn't call it settling at all. I'd still like my tiara though."

Samantha crossed the threshold, joining her in the bathroom. "I'll see what I can find."

"So, about us. We're...together, right?"

The specialist tilted her head to the side. "Yes. Unless you've...changed your mind?"

Bethany stepped forward and kissed Samantha then, properly. If she was doing anything wrong, Samantha didn't give any indication, in fact the specialist pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around Bethany's neck.

"We should take this some place else," Bethany said somewhat breathlessly.

"Why?" Samantha asked. "EDI, where is Commander Shepard?"

"Shepard is in a meeting in the war room," EDI replied. "She's supposed to be in there for at least another hour."

"Would you mind making sure we get a half-hour in here, alone?"

"Happily, Specialist Traynor," EDI replied.

"Now, Private Westmoreland," Samantha said, starting to undo the buckles on her uniform. "I'm feeling like a shower, how about you?"

###


End file.
